Goddess of the New World
by Ethy22
Summary: What if Misa had been more of an intellectual match for Light? Admittedly, this is largely used as a justification for a warmer relationship between Light and Misa. Additionally, I had always felt the Second Kira plotline was too short for how interesting it was, so here I am. My goal is to keep Misa the same personality wise, simply with the cunning befitting a second Kira.
1. Chapter 1: Apotheosis

**Chapter 1: Apotheosis**

"So this is how Kira kills." Misa said in wonder, gazing at the black notebook in her hands. Rem floated by her desk, across the room, and gave her a nod. The young model drew her legs up to her chest, and began reading through the rules.

"So, this can kill in other ways than a heart attack, but Kira kept that secret." A sweet smile played across her lips. "Whoever he is, he's even smarter than I dreamed." With childish energy, she rushed over to her computer and turned it on. Her browser was always open to the most popular Kira forums, but that wasn't what she was after now.

Kira's first judgement was public knowledge, at least what that weirdo L had _said_ was his first, but L didn't know the rules. Misa went to one week before the hostage situation and started looking through regional obituaries. Any mysterious deaths could have been his work, and maybe one of those would give a hint to his identity.

"Misa, I gave you that death note to use for yourself. Why are you so concerned with how someone else is using theirs?" The shinigami looked over her shoulder, her one yellow eye reflected in the glossy monitor.

"Because I believe in what Kira is doing. Rem, if he didn't exist, I don't know what I'd use the note for. I'd have killed that robber, maybe even some of my scarier fans, but that's it. Kira doesn't think like that, he's trying to change the world for the better. Now I have a chance to help him do that; I can thank him for avenging my parents; I can make sure he knows how much he means to people like me."

Rem had no reply. For several minutes the only sounds were the clicking of keys and the rolling of the mouse. As time went on, a mournful expression spread across Misa's face. It was a bit sobering to look at how many innocent people passed on every day. "Is there any way to tell if someone was killed by a death note?"

"No, except by finding their name and the circumstances of their death written in one." She was monotone as ever in her reply.

"Aw, I suppose this will take some time then. I guess I can ignore John and Jane Does at least, Kira needs a name just like me." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flicker go across Rem's features. "He does need the names right? It's not like drawing a person would work." The death god stayed silent. "Rem?" Misa spun her chair around and gazed at her.

"We shinigami never need to worry about not knowing a person's name." She began slowly. "Through our eyes, every human's name and lifespan are visible above their head."

"Oh, so Kira's shinigami, Ryuk right, he could tell him whatever names he wanted to know?"

"No, such a thing is forbidden, however a human may acquire a shinigami's eyes themselves." Rem paused for a moment looking Misa in the eyes. "The _cost_ is half that person's remaining lifespan."

"Deal!" Misa proclaimed without a second's hesitation.

"What?" Misa you can't mean-"

"I do Rem. Those eyes, they'd make no one immune to the death note. If Kira already has them, that means he's even sacrificed half his life for this, how could I do any less? And if he doesn't have them, then I can make him that much more powerful." Misa forced a childlike smile. "Besides, can you imagine me all wrinkly and senile? I'd much rather live short and sweet. Though I don't suppose you'd really understand that."

Rem stared at her, and Misa started to think she could see confusion on her face. "Close your eyes, Misa." The teenager obliged. "Now, it is done." A shiver went through her spine as she opened her new eyes. Nothing felt different, but then she gasped.

Across the room was a picture of her parents. She could see their names floating there above their faces. Then, below those, were two strings of zeroes. Her chair squeaked as she spun around to look at her monitor again. Now, every face there was crowned with a name and number.

Misa tabbed back to the largest Kira forum and navigated to the "requests" section. Every forum had some form of it, even if it was just an unofficial section, but this one was very well organized. Pictures could be provided in the header, they could be categorized by crimes and their legal status. Thousands of faces stared back at her as she scrolled through it, sorting so the worst of the worst would be at the top. Most were mugshots, but some were regular pictures, unevenly cropped so the monsters were alone. There were some videos of crimes, showing criminals with no known name, but Misa knew their names now, Misa knew _all_ their names.

The childish smile her face bore twisted into a devilish grin. Fifteen robbers, twenty-three murderers, eight-teen rapists, and ten terrorists; Kira couldn't do anything about them, not until now. Now a single video, a blurry photograph, even one frame of security footage was enough for Kira's justice to reach them.

Misa was in a frenzy. She wrote and wrote and wrote. Several dozen criminals had their fates sealed before she started dating the deaths. It would arose suspicion if the death rate randomly spiked. Still, she wrote and wrote, putting down weeks of names. By the time she stopped, the night was beginning to fade and spasms of pain wracked her hand.

* * *

As soon as Misa returned home, she was at her desk again, awkwardly navigating pages with her left hand while her right wrote names. It took all her willpower to keep under control, she knew that a fervor like last night's would lead to her making mistakes. "Rem, I don't suppose you could tell me how many years I lost?" She asked, somewhat absentmindedly as a terrorist's manifesto played muted on her screen.

"No, it is forbidden."

"Oh well, I guess it's too bad I can't read shinigami time, then I could just look at my reflection to know."

"That would not work. A human with the eyes of a shinigami cannot see the lifespan of a death note's owner, this includes themselves." Rem responded in a flat voice.

"Oh." A pout crossed Misa's lips in the moment before she fully processed what Rem had said. "Wait! That means I can't see Kira's lifespan! He'd be the only other human who owns a death note, so if I can just see his face I will know it's him!"

She closed the video she had been watching, it could wait. "So let's see, he's a resident of the Kanto region according to L's broadcast, wait no, I shouldn't assume Kira is male. Oh, what am I thinking, the police will have a list of suspects, probably a few thousand at most. There's a good chance Kira isn't on their list, but there's no better place to start."

The next hour was spent going through her old haunts. Almost every Kira message board had posters trying to identify him. Some sites shut those down, even making any theorizing about Kira's identity against their rules. Still, there were plenty of sites (very possibly set up by the police she knew) that permitted or encouraged it. The majority were stupid theories, usually centered around some celebrity (one even suggested she was Kira in the wake of the judgement of her parents' killer), or a politician. Then there were "leaks" claiming to be from any group, usually the police. Stupid or dumb, real or fake, all of them were worth looking through.

The first few posts were pointless, the most basic variety of conspiracy theories. Next were batches of alleged suspects, including people who had gone to the police claiming to be Kira, in the end it was equally as useless, though the concept of Kira turning himself in to divert suspicion was an interesting one. She finally hit gold with another theorizing post, this one rather competently put together.

It outlined all the indications that Kira had police contacts of some kind. It was a rather simple deduction, but the thoroughness with which the author backed up their claims convinced Misa it was worth digging deeper into. Next it talked about the FBI agents, asking why L would have involved foreign law enforcement unless he wanted to investigate the local police themselves. Then it suggested that, given Kira's well known moral compass, the FBI agents wouldn't have been killed unless they posed an active threat. It made some more tenuous leaps in addition to that, but what caught Misa's attention was the sources it listed.

First was a series of archived web-pages, showing that the number for the Kira hotline belonged to the NPA headquarters, rather than some obscure espionage agency. She tried to read over it, but eventually she gave up and took it at face value; investigative work of that kind wasn't her strong suit. Next was a link to other websites, some taken down, showing the identities of various current and former officers of the NPA and other government employees. A few more citations helped narrow it down to officers working in the Kanto region, and then, specifically, Tokyo.

Seventy-three officers working in Tokyo. None of them were Kira. Next, she looked over the other employees, janitors, forensics, doctors, anyone that would be let into the building, but none of them were Kira either. Lastly were friends and family, the former would mainly be former officers or private investigators, she knew, but even after half an hour of looking through possible candidates, none of them were Kira. Now Misa was starting to get impatient, she pivoted to finding family members by simply searching officer's surnames. The deputy director would be a good place to begin, it is unlikely many would have a name that unique, and he was old enough to have a wife, maybe a son-

_"Light Yagami!" _She suddenly burst out. His eyes were staring at her from the first result, amber hair crowned in that beautiful name. It was a schools honors ceremony from a few years ago, he had managed a perfect score on the nationwide tests that year. Kira stood there on a stage, stuck in a handshake with some kind of politician as he gazed at the camera, an artificial smile on his face, and a distant look in his eyes.

"I never expected Kira to be this young, or half as amazing. This says he got perfect scores on every subject for the To-oh entrance exam! It's too bad there isn't footage of his speech, I bet it was amazing." Misa smiled sweetly, opening a new tab for every article on the young genius she found.

It wasn't long before she found herself saving pictures of him, but sadly there weren't many to savor. Despite how handsome he was, every photo she could find was from some kind of obligatory event, the latest being his high-school graduation. That one was the one she savored the most, it was six days after he had judged that robber guilty. That was a picture of Kira, and she treasured it. "It's like a dream, don't you think Rem?"

"I am not sure what you mean Misa."

"I mean the fact that Kira is my age, and he's so smart, and _so _handsome, it's like destiny. He really is like a god, so maybe...maybe I can be his goddess."

Rem put a hand on the young girl's shoulder softly, but stayed silent. Her yellow eye softened as Misa rested her head on the bony claw. "How do I contact him though? I can probably find his address and phone number online, but he's a suspect already. His phone might be tapped if I try calling him, and if I just walk up to him out of the blue it will be so suspicious to anyone watching him."

She let out a long sigh, that slowly turned into a deep yawn. "I suppose that can wait until morning, I'm too excited for my own good right now." Misa began shutting down her computer, wiping all the history of her searches, but despite herself she kept that one picture of Light saved. Rem picked up the death note and floated upwards, placing it in the designated hiding spot among the rafters.

The young girl flopped onto her bed casually and smiled. Rem took her own customary position, sitting weightlessly at Misa's side. It didn't take long for sleep to overtake the young model. Soon enough a pure smile crossed her lips as she dreamed of Light Yagami.

Rem silently watched from her post. She wondered if giving the girl the note had been the correct choice. Sometimes it seemed like the book had turned her into someone else, but every night she could see what Gellus had seen. She saw that sweet smile, those eyes all to quick to love, and the pure joy Misa seemed to exude, and she understood her friend.

The shinigami silently pulled a blanket over Misa's shoulders when she shivered. _Light Yagami, I do not know you, but if you ever dare hurt her, I **will** kill you._


	2. Chapter 2: Duality

**Chapter 2: Duality**

Light stared at the latest batch of Kira-attributed deaths. Eleven criminals were dead, eleven criminals that he hadn't been the one to judge. It could be a coincidence, a shinigami extending their own lifespan on a whim, or there could be another death note in the world. There was no choice except to move forwards as if it was the latter.

Thankfully, whoever it was, they weren't sullying Kira's good name. All of the dead were criminals he'd likely have judged himself in time. Then, something caught his eye. One of the faces was familiar, a convicted drug dealer and alleged murderer. Light had judged him, he was certain of it, but that was months ago and he had only died now? There was only one explanation for the death note failing him. _Do they have the eyes? That could be extremely dangerous if they want to usurp my position. On the other hand, their goals seem to be aligned with my own; they could make a powerful ally. No, it's safer for me to assume they intend to be the only god of this world._

"Either way," Light started muttering his thoughts. He enjoyed seeing Ryuk's reactions out of the corner of his eye. "I need to find this impostor as soon as possible. They are cautious though, their victims were clearly picked to send a message only I could understand. It could be an attempt to make contact to ally together, or it could be a trap to try and find my face." He leaned back in his chair, stretching his legs, and turned his face to Ryuk.

"In all likelihood, L will, or has already, noticed this change. It didn't take him long to figure out Kira needs both a name and a face to kill after all. So," a smile covered his face as he crossed his arms. "I think it is about time that I join the investigation. Their resources will be vital for tracking down this pretender, and I need to make sure that L doesn't track him down first." Light stood up and gazed back down at the list of the copycat's victims. "And if he does want to serve me, I'll be in the perfect position to ensure L is added to that list before too long."

* * *

"Light, to start off with I think you should look over our list of suspected Kira victims. Maybe you can find something we missed." L shuffled away and hopped into a chair. Neither him, nor any of the task-force members, had told him anything, aside from their cover identities, when he joined. The dark-eyed detective now had a plate of cake in his hand, carefully eating without taking his eyes off of Light.

_So, it's a test then. He made it obvious enough that he knows I'll know. _Light sat down at the offered desk and began scrolling through the names. Each of them had an attached file on the deceased, some of which he examined for appearances' sake. _Now, should I suggest a second Kira, more importantly do I have a choice? He's likely picked up on it himself, and it would look suspicious if I didn't notice the change in the pattern. I could suggest maybe Kira gained some source of information, maybe a foreign intelligence agency. No, the victims are too diverse to be explained away that easily. The only acceptable explanation is that Kira only needs a face to kill now._

Light spent a fair few minutes going through the list in silence, mentally tallying what information he could be expected to know and deduce. "Well," he turned to face the task-force as he spoke, choosing his words carefully, "the pattern of the victims seems fairly consistent. All of them, except a few strange outliers, were violent criminals that had either already stood trial, or were evading arrest. Most also had their information publicly available, or at the least in the police database. Additionally, there don't appear to be any nameless victims, and those operating under a false identity were only killed if their real identity was also included in their file. This suggests that the popular rumor about Kira needing a face and a name to kill might be accurate." Light gestured to several names on the list as he spoke, using his pen. Deep inside, he smiled at the irony of pointing out their names with the very thing he used to kill them.

The detectives seemed stunned that he had deduced that much already, all of them except L. Light made sure to resume talking before any of them had a chance to interrupt. "The majority of them also have names using either the Latin or Japanese alphabets, possibly suggesting that Kira is only fluent in those." In truth, Light knew how to read and write in those as well as Cyrillic and Arabic, though he was a bit rusty. If L chose to dug into that detail, he was confident his father would remember his studies on them.

"Now, I qualified those statements by saying it was the majority. There are some lesser criminal deaths that seem unusual for Kira, but it's hard to speculate as to his motivation for them. Perhaps he had a personal motive relating to them, or or maybe they were part of some plan of his. There also appear to be several times where, if this information is accurate, his pattern varied. First of all, there are these deaths, where the victims showed strange behavior before dying. They all happened in a relatively short period, after which he returned to the regular pattern. Maybe he was testing some variation of his killing method, one which allowed some degree of control over his victims?" L's eyes occasionally twitched as Light went on speaking. The detective was hard to read, but he wasn't infallible.

"The pattern again evolved recently, with these new victims. Several of them are still unidentified, but others had their names withheld. Then there are these two." Light quickly opened the pages of two of the criminals. "Their names had been broadcast, but misspelled. This suggests that Kira only needed the faces of these criminals to kill them. If I had to guess, I'd say that Kira is testing yet another method of killing, you yourself said he is rather new to it," he gestured to L, "so refining his technique is only to be expected."

There was a murmuring from the task-force, then Matsuda spoke up. "That's amazing Light! Your theory sounds even better than-"

"Quiet Matsui." L snapped, uncharacteristically sharply.

"You have a different theory?" Light made the question sound so innocent, but inside he felt quite smug.

"Well," L paused to drop a few sugar cubes into his coffee, "yes I do."

Light sighed with practiced exasperation. "And you weren't going to tell me because you still suspect me."

"Not completely." The dark-haired detective took a sip then stood up. "To be accurate, I was hoping you'd come to the same conclusion as me. It would make that theory significantly more credible if we arrived at the same conclusion separately."

"So, what is your theory?"

L gave him a cold stare. "Can't you guess?"

"Ryuzaki!" Light burst out. "Am I here to help with the case or just to be tested more?"

L quietly took a sip of his drink, then looked downwards. "You're right. Please accept my apologies." He walked over and stood beside Light.

"You see, my theory is that there is a second person with Kira's power. This second Kira can kill with just a face, unlike the first. If you graph the deaths like this," L opened a file and revealed a line graph with dates and death tolls marked, "you can see a noticeable spike that corresponds to when unnamed criminals began dying. If we instead ignore the unnamed criminals, the rate returns to the normal range of victims."

"It definitely is possible." _So, as expected, he already figured it out. _"Still, if Kira was testing a new method of killing, it would make sense for it to be in addition to his daily killings in case it proved ineffective."

"True, but let's look at it from a practical standpoint." L began to walk towards the window as he spoke. "If Kira has simply developed a new way to kill, there's nothing we can do, besides warn the police and take our own measures to conceal our faces." L pivoted around and began pacing the other direction. "On the other hand, if there is a second Kira we might be able to catch them and then learn more about the method they use, which could be exactly what we need to apprehend the real Kira."

_Damn that L!_ "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Have you found a common factor between the unnamed victims?"

_L, you can deduce as much as you want. You can lay traps everywhere to try and catch me. You can do whatever you want, but you're never going to get so much as a single crumb of evidence. I'll make sure that's the case even if you catch this pretender, by any means necessary._

* * *

Matsuda was the one tailing him today. Truth be told, the young detective was rather talented at it, but Ryuk had chosen to sell him out for the chance of an apple. He had gotten used to being followed since he joined the task-force, but it still irritated him to feel as though L was constantly staring down his back.

It had been twelve days since the appearance of the second Kira. The deaths had remained mostly consistent, though the times of death had started varying after the first day. Despite the best efforts of both him and L, they hadn't dug up any solid leads. Photos of the victims could be found all over the internet, including many Kira fan-sites. For a few days, they thought they had found the second Kira's source of information, but then, as more victims were found, it was disproved. Whoever this was knew not to draw too much from the same well.

Really, that was the most infuriating part for Light: whoever this was, they were competent enough to cover their tracks. It was hard to be mad about that fact on its own, it was terrifying to think about what would happen if a death note was in the hands of someone reckless, but in turn that meant Light had no leads of his own. He had spent dozens of hours looking at the victims, trying to find some coded message for him in them, and had found nothing. Either they had no intention of contacting Kira, or they were waiting some time before doing it. Either way, Light could do nothing but sit and wait.

"Light?" Takada's voice was easy enough to recognize. He turned his head to acknowledge her, taking a seat in the row behind him. "Apparently there was this model asking about you. She's considering going back to school and thinks she should get "the best of the best" to tutor her." A genuine smile went across Light's face. It wasn't the first time he had been sought out for tutoring, but usually they were at least in the same school as him.

"Really? I hope someone was kind enough to let her down easily. How did she even get onto campus?"

"She was doing a commercial on the grounds I think. I tried to suggest a professional tutor, but apparently they would be too 'stuffy' for her." Takada let out a quiet, single-syllable laugh. "It was a bit sad how determined she was though. She asked me to pass on that she needed help with a book report she'd been working on for the last two weeks. I think she called it The Eyes of Death? Some fantasy fluff, but she complained about the number of characters."

A chill went down Light's back. _Two weeks? The eyes? Did she mean the number of names? If I was trying to send a message to another death note owner, those are the exact terms I'd want to use to avoid suspicion, but a dumb model? Could it really be her? _"I think my sister might have read that story. Maybe I should introduce them." He gave his own half-laugh of levity.

"Well, apparently she's going to be filming on campus all week. So I figured I would tell you before she started harassing you on her own." Her voice had a distinct tone of disdain, she clearly shared his first impression of the girl.

"Thanks for the warning, I'll keep an eye out." Light smiled outwardly. _If it is her, she already knows my name. If I use this chance to get into contact with her, it will seem completely natural, just a young man talking to a pretty girl. Still, maybe she is just guessing, or maybe this is all a coincidence, I can't confirm my identity to her until I'm certain it's safe. On the other hand, she's clearly okay with me knowing her name and face if she wants to meet me, there's no way she would do that if she was out to kill me, unless it's a bluff to put me at ease. _Light twirled his pencil as he thought.

_I need to meet her, I don't have any other choice. _

* * *

**Author's Note:**

It isn't an exaggeration to say that Misa contacting Light required more brainstorming and writing (and re-writing) than the entire rest of the story so far. I had fully written out several variations of them "coincidentally" meeting, as well as alternatives such as Rem delivering a message to plan their first meeting ahead of time, but none of them flowed smoothly. Eventually I decided on the tutoring explanation, especially since it fit in with the background I had imagined for this scenario wherein Misa had dropped out before graduating due to her parents' deaths and then taken up modelling as a result.

Additionally I tried to avoid re-treading scenes that would be virtually identical to canon (such as Light's reaction to being invited to the investigation, and initial introductions with the task-force) for the sake of brevity.


	3. Chapter 3: Pantheon

**Chapter 3: Pantheon**

Light sat casually on a bench in the To-oh courtyard. His school notebook rested on his lap as he absentmindedly navigated the assigned material. In truth, his thoughts were on Misa Amane. At some point today, she'd arrive for filming, and he figured the courtyard was the likeliest location.

Casually, he flipped to the next page. Every few minutes his eyes would dart to his phone. If he had his phone turned off, no doubt he'd have fallen under even more suspicion. At any moment, a single whim from L could call him to task-force headquarters and waste another day of his.

A murmur of voices picked up in the distance. Light let his eyes flit over to its source and hid a smile; there was a crowd walking almost directly towards where he sat by the fountain. Near the lead was a short blonde, a permanent cheery smile plastered on her face.

A gust of wind ruffled her jacket, and she turned her eyes. Their gazes met and for a moment and he could see a change in her expression. _L would probably figure out some percentage of her being the second Kira, but I know it's her. I wonder if L thought the same thing when he first saw me in person. _He broke off the gaze as she grew nearer, and stood up.

"Miss Amane?" There was a warm smile on his face as he approached her.

"Yes, and you are?" A glow seemed to fill her face as she looked at him. Light wasn't sure if the infatuation was an act at all. The model popped a piece of candy into her mouth casually.

"I was told you were looking for me, you wanted a tutor?" He let out a small laugh between sentences. "I don't really have time for full time tutoring, but since we managed to run into each-other it would be rude of me not to offer a little help."

"Oh, you're Light," she blushed and paused for a moment trying to remember. If Light didn't know better, he would have believed the performance. "Yagami! I think that's your name? That would be wonder- I mean, only if it's convenient for you of course." As they walked alongside each-other she bowed her head respectfully.

"Don't worry about it." Light waved his hand, gesturing to her entourage. "I take it you're busy right now though. Maybe some other time?"

"Oh right." She began rooting through her purse. There was a sound of tearing paper and writing. Light's pulse quickened for a moment. "Here's my number. Don't lose it!" Misa leaned in to peck him on the cheek lightly as she pressed the scrap of paper into his hands.

When her blonde pigtails left his vision, a large figure had appeared in the air beside her. _So it really is her._ Light made sure that his gaze didn't linger on the ivory shinigami. _Handing me a piece of her death note in front of a dozen people? Is she really that reckless? It doesn't make sense. _He spared the page corner a small glance and saw one number. Hurriedly, he committed it to memory before stuffing the note into his pocket and clenching his fist around it.

* * *

Misa navigated her way to the cafe Light had told her about in his message. When Rem had returned from spying on Light to tell her that he hadn't made an attempt on her life, she was happy. Of course, she knew all along her Light would never hurt her, but Rem had insisted that she take some sort of precaution. The death note tasted horrible, but it had been worth it to trick him for Rem's sake. Maybe he would even be impressed with her when she told him the ploy that she'd prepared.

The surveillance would be annoying, but on the other hand it meant they'd likely be going on plenty of dates, even if it was only as a cover. _Does L have him as a major suspect, maybe even his prime suspect? He really is as good as his reputation claims._

When she arrived, Rem pointed out a young, well dressed man sitting outside the cafe as the police officer tailing Light. She pretended to search for Light in order to look over his name. _Taro Matsuda, I will remember you. _Light was sitting alone in the back of the cafe as he'd said in his message, a pot of tea already set out.

"Thank you _so _much!" Misa said with exaggerated emphasis as she set her bag of books on the table and fished for the one she'd named before. It had taken her a bit of time to find a book title that would draw the attention of a death note's owner, and the book itself was incredibly dull, but she had to commit to the deception, especially with police watching.

"No problem." Light's glowing smile truly lived up to his name. "You wanted help with a book report, if my memory serves me? Is it for a class?"

"Yes, and no." She pulled out a black book. It was hard to replace the cover on her own, but she hadn't been certain how many hints would need dropping. "It's a bit embarrassing, but I never finished primary school. I figured that if I wanted any college to accept me in that state, I'd need something impressive to show off to the admissions board. I ended up deciding on trying to write a character analysis type thing on a lesser known book."

He nodded in response. "If it isn't rude to ask, why didn't you finish?"

"My parents..." Misa gazed into his eyes despite herself. She knew she should look away, put on a show of being shy and concerned, but this was her time. It was her chance to finally tell Kira what he meant to her, to let him know what he had given her. "My parents were killed in a robbery."

A lump appeared in her throat as she spoke. "I was a witness, so the police wanted to talk to me all the time, and I had to start working to support myself too."

"I'm sorry." His voice was appropriately somber. The eyes that gazed back into hers were so warm and lovely, she could practically hear a different voice saying _"You're welcome. I'm so glad I was able to give your parents justice."_ His hand reached out and grasped hers in a cliche comforting manner, and she felt a scrap of paper press against her skin.

A tall black figure faded into existence next to Light, sitting cross-legged on the table. "Hey, how's it going?" He waved and gave a shark-like smile, but Misa ignored it, her eyes stayed fixed on Light.

_I knew you'd understand it Kira. You can trust me, you can trust me with anything, I would never dream of betraying you. I owe you so much. You are my savior, my god, my Light. _

She savored the moment for as long as possible before changing the subject. "I have some passages marked in the book. I know most people think of it as just some generic teenage fantasy, but I think it's a wonderful character-study. Like in chapter eight, there's an entire page centered around a single dilemma." Misa opened it to one of her bookmarks and handed it over.

Light quickly read through the marked passage. It described the protagonist, a fairly generic knight, debating whether or not to act outside his lord's orders and kill an enemy. Misa had attached a page of notes to it with fairly basic questions, the kind one would use if they really were writing a report.

The way his eyes glimmered as he read through it was mesmerizing. She felt that she could see plans forming in those beautiful amber orbs. He made an effort to flip through the next few pages, but the disinterest in his eyes told her that it was only for appearance sake.

"Interesting, the events of this chapter seem to center on the knight's decision. It would have been better had he simply followed orders, rather than panicking and acting on his own."

"I read his actions as being calculated rather than panicked. He simply thinks that he is the only one able to respond to the issue."

"Well such logic is very presumptuous on his part." Light turned to thank the waitress as a fresh pot of tea was brought to them. "The king clearly doesn't trust him to act autonomously, so making such a decision on his own is rooted in a lack of faith."

_I understand Kira. _Misa took a sip of tea. "I see, so he's showing that he trusts himself more than his leader. Such an attitude is probably the reason he is distrusted despite his capabilities." _I have faith._

A smile greeted her. "Exactly. You know, you're rather sharp. It's rare to meet someone with intelligence equal to her beauty."

His words were honey and she blushed despite herself. _He's only playing the part of a love-struck teen. It's too overt to be real, right? _"Thank you." Misa stammered out. "Though, I would hardly say it's rare, I met someone like that just today."

Light laughed again. He looked down at the book and flipped through the pages. "You know, I'm not sure why, but I am reminded of a story I read a few years ago, I think it was in English though." Even his lies were so beautiful.

"It's a story about two rival magicians, the stage kind not the fantasy kind." He leaned back with another sweet smile. "Eventually one becomes obsessed with discovering his rival's secret. Eventually he figures out that his "rival" is actually a pair of brothers, allowing them to quite literally be in two places at once."

_Is he saying that L is going to discover that there are two Kiras, or is he saying that L already knows? Either way, how would he know that? It would make sense for his father to be working with L, is he really careless enough to leak information? _Misa hid her surprise with a long sip of tea. "So is that how the story ends?"

"Well, it is more complicated like that. The magician sets out to find proof of his rivals' method, pretending that he was trying to make amends. He uses it to get close to his rival, working together as he plots against him. The story ends with him finally knowing his theory was right as one brother cuts his throat while the other stands on stage in front of thousands."

_He can't mean he's actually working with L. I guess they both believe in the philosophy of keeping your enemy closer, but that's so dangerous. _"It sounds like an interesting story, maybe I will borrow it sometime, though I feel as though I already understand it quite well."

"I will see if I still have it. We really should get back to your book report though, such distractions can too easily take up time. I must admit that passage piqued my interest, would you mind if I went through your other notes quickly?"

"Go ahead." _If they are working together, t__hat means he's almost certainly seen L's face, so it's the name he needs, or L would be dead already. If L suspects there being a second Kira, he must've noticed that Light needs both a face and a name to kill while I don't, which in turn means if I kill him it would exonerate Light through L's own words._

Light's phone suddenly buzzed. When he looked at it, there was an expression of annoyance on his face. He answered it immediately, and proceeded to reply to the caller with short, generic responses. _It's L, or one of the investigators under him. _The conversation ended with an expected "...I'll handle it right away." His eyes turned to her. "My father asked me to pick up some groceries, I'm sorry but we'll have to do this another time."

_His father? So it is the investigative team._ "Don't worry, just promise to call me!" She gave an innocent smile.

"Of course. Make sure that you keep working on your notes, I think you're doing quite well." He extended his hand formally as he stood up. Misa couldn't resist, she grabbed it and pulled him close for another peck on the cheek, one she could savor.

_I'll keep writing names for now at the same pace. It's hard to sit and wait, but I know that's the best thing for now. Once he is able to, he'll surely tell me what L looks like. Then he will have to find a way to lure L out so I can see him, no, we will have to find a way. Even if he is my leader, we are in this together_ _now. Now and forever. _


	4. Chapter 4: Heresy

**Chapter 4: Heresy**

L read through Matsuda's report with equal parts irritation and intrigue. The young detective was thorough, but spent too much time on his own conjectures rather than simply relaying the facts. Had Light really been on a romantic outing with a girl? That wasn't the Light Yagami he knew. _Matsuda would be the type to read too much into such an encounter though, especially given it's a celebrity. It's entirely possible that the meeting was platonic in nature and he simply projected onto it. _

L took a sip of his drink, tea today. _Could I be overthinking things? Light Yagami is a young male and this girl is a model. Romantic or not, a meeting between them is well within reason if he is innocent. If he is Kira though, he wouldn't waste time on a girl, not the Kira I know. Could she be the second Kira? Not likely, if they could contact each other without leaving a trace to arrange this meeting, they would've had no reason to risk meeting. Could it be a distraction, just an innocent girl used to confuse me?_

There was a buzzing sound. L casually reached down and plucked his phone with two fingers, not bothering to look away from the screen. It was Watari, as expected. "Ryuzaki, the task-force is assembled and waiting for you. "

"Thank you." _Well Light, it's clear that I've been passive for too long. Let's see if your counterpart is ready for us to take the offensive. _He stood up and moved towards the door separating his room from the rest of the suite. _And if you really somehow aren't Kira, it's time to see how good of a detective you'll make. _

When L entered the room, the other task-force members were standing in a semicircle. Matsuda stood silent at one end, opposite Light. It was good he was taking his assignment seriously, though L was sure Light had noticed the tail.

"Now, I am sure you're all wondering why I called this meeting." L paced around, watching Light out of the corner of his eye as he spoke. "The fact is I have made an error." _Was that satisfaction Light? No, he's too composed to slip that easily. _"I had thought the best tactic would be to watch and wait for Kira, or his copycat, to slip up in some way. This has clearly proved fruitless. Luckily, I have been able to prepare a new strategy, one that is a bit more active."

L sat down and gazed at the laptop monitor for a moment before continuing. "All of our greatest breaks in this case so far have been thanks to Kira's childish nature and fragile ego." _Does it anger you to hear that Light? _His eyes remained glued to the boy in the reflection of his screen. "Therefor it follows that the best way to gain ground is to provoke Kira once more."

The elder Yagami immediately spoke up. "But Ryuzaki, didn't you yourself say that provoking Kira would be dangerous and likely cause him to kill more in response?"

"Yes that is a very real danger, however I have taken multiple precautions to limit the possibility of that result. If Kira does in fact choose to retaliate, I believe it will be limited to his normal victim pool."

"You can set up the broadcast, and already have I'd guess, what do you need us for?" Light received surprised looks from the detectives around him.

L cut into a piece of cake. "You are correct Light. I do not precisely _need _help from any of you, but there are roles you can play which would greatly increase the chance of success." L took a bite of the strawberry cake and chewed it thoughtfully for a moment.

"My plan is to broadcast a message and impersonate Kira." As expected, everyone in the room, even the younger Yagami, was surprised by that.

L held up one hand, fork still dangling between his fingers. "We will air a message from Kira directed at his copycat. It will say something along the lines of: 'I know you exist. I appreciate your support, but I demand you follow my orders and code. If you agree to these conditions, stop your killings until you can contact me.' Both Kiras are certain to take notice of this and, if all goes well, they will slip up in some way in their reactions."

Soichiro took advantage of L's pause for breath. "With all due respect Ryuzaki, you're the only one of us who believes in this second Kira. Besides, why would anyone believe this is an actual message from Kira and not just another hoax?"

"To address your second question, we will be providing proof." L clicked a few times on the computer and brought up an image of a middle-aged man's face. "Over the last few days I have arranged for a trial to be televised at 18:00 this Wednesday. I have arranged it so this man, a con man that goes by the name Aiber, will play the role of an accused murderer. In our broadcast, we will name a time of death for him, and at that time he will fake a heart attack."

L stared at Light's reflection in the picture. _Light, I'm sure you'll be able to piece together his real name from the information I left in his files. I wonder if you'll take the bait. _L made sure not to mention the fact that Aiber would be under close medical observation in the intervening days. _If Aiber dies before the trial, there will be no doubt left. _

"Then, to answer your other statement, this experiment will yield valuable information no matter the outcome." L raised one hand and help up three fingers. "There are three possibilities." He lowered two dramatically. "The first is that you are correct and there is only one Kira. In that case, he will obviously see through our scheme instantly. Of course, the Kira I know would have a hard time resisting such a chance to taunt us in some way. Ideally it would be through a similar broadcast or other physical message, giving us the physical proof needed to start building a case when the time comes." _Unless it is Light, in which case I doubt he'll risk delivering a response while monitored. _

The second finger rose again. "The second option is that there are two Kiras, but they have not yet contacted each other. If that is the case, then the first and second Kiras will both at least suspect the video might be from the other. One or both will try to find some way to respond, if only to make sure the other doesn't send more messages, ideally letting us catch both in the same net."

L held up his third finger while grabbing a doughnut from the nearby tray with his other hand. "Then there is the last, and by far most dangerous, possibility. If there are two Kiras and they are in contact already, they will immediately know the video is a ploy on our part. The response here is harder to predict as it will largely depend on the nature of the second Kira. So far he has bean careful and consistent, to the point where there is no certainty whether he exists or not."

L carefully licked frosting off his fingers as he spoke. "Such a person would likely refrain from sending a message. Still, Kira isn't the type to accept orders from another. Ideally this could drive a wedge between them, but I doubt it. I'd say the most likely response would be for them to stay completely silent, especially if they don't know we suspect a second Kira."

"If the goal is to anger Kira like you said, wouldn't it be easier to fake the death of an innocent? You have said yourself that he sees himself as being on the side of justice, and it wouldn't require the trial to be set up." Aizawa interjected, somewhat softer than he normally spoke.

L opened his mouth to respond, but Light stole the words. "No. It would definitely anger Kira more, but if a second Kira is out there it could inspire them to loosen their own code to extend to innocents as well."

"Precisely." He turned back to gaze at the younger Yagami. "Light, you already seem to have grasped my plan quite well. That is why I'd like you to play the part of Kira on the tape." _Was that really such a surprise Light? _

"I thought you or Watari would've wanted to record it yourselves." The show of discomfort Light made felt slightly too obvious.

"Both me and Watari have communicated with the police and public before in the past. Even with voice filters, there's a chance of some quirk of our delivery being noticed, especially since neither of us are native Japanese speakers; this is Kira we're trying to trick after all." L climbed from the chair and approached the boy. "I can understand you being uncomfortable with such a role given my suspicions of you, but I can assure you that played no factor in making this decision." _I wonder Light, can you read lies as well as you tell them? _

The teenager made a perfect show of a young man making a difficult decision. _Always so perfect, _L thought bitterly. "I'll do it."

"Excellent, we can start working on the script immediately. Please come up with some excuse for your absence from home for the next few days, I would like-"

"Ryuzaki wait, you said you had roles for us in this too." Matsuda interjected. Sometimes his desire to be useful was beneficial, and sometimes it was annoying. L wasn't certain which it was this time.

"Ah yes. Well, I won't dance around this, I'd like to hold your cover identities hostage." L made sure to keep talking before they could start interrupting him. "If this message were from Kira, he would use hostages to make sure we didn't intercept or interrupt it. Hardened criminals don't make very good hostages, so the only other option would be the team investigating him. That would in turn deter the second Kira from taking his own, likely innocent, hostages if he responds."

"Why not just use completely fabricated names and claim they are part of the task-force?" Ukita asked.

Light spoke up first. "Kira is almost certainly investigating the task-force and the police in general. He would likely see through any newly fabricated names, but your aliases have been in use for some time." _Once again, exactly what I would've said Light. _

"In addition, I had Watari set up backgrounds for your false identities, though I took the liberty of removing all attached pictures as soon as the unnamed victims began to appear. The risk should be minimal, but still I will not force any of you to endanger your lives this way." As expected, all the detectives quickly volunteered themselves. Soichiro also immediately forbade Light from ever agreeing to any kind of similar risk should it come up in the investigation.

"Now, as I was saying Light, you will need to make up some excuse for your absence over the next few days as-"

"You still suspect that I am Kira and want to keep an eye on me."

"Yes." L replied without hesitation. "Don't worry, I will be making use of your help. Otherwise I'd have found a more believable pretense."

Light sighed, another painfully perfect expression. "I hope you'll trust me eventually." The young man took his phone and walked to the other room. L moved to listen to the conversation.

He called multiple people, giving excuses for a multiple day absence, usually citing school work of some kind. L paid attention to all of them, but it was the last call that caught his interest. "Misa, something came up with my father's health and I'll be busy for a few days. I usually keep my schedule planned out a week in advance, so I'll make sure to find time to see you again as soon as possible." There were some muffled words in response. "I'll give him your best wishes. Don't worry, I'm certain you can handle the report on your own."

"I have faith in you Misa."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Ironically this had the opposite problem of the last two chapters. Whereas it was hard to write dialogue for Misa and Light because there were rather few important things that they could communicate subtly, here there are simply so many things L could think and say that I had to cut a lot of it due to it ending up feeling like repetitious exposition (which I do hope I avoided while still explaining the plan sufficiently).


	5. Chapter 5: Retribution

**Chapter 5: Retribution**

Misa's hand was trembling when Light ended the call. Rem placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Misa, is something wrong?" The monotone voice of the god of death seemed to be coming from far away.

"Light..." She murmured to herself. _What happened Light? Did L find something? Did that bastard lock you up with nothing? I'll kill him, I'll kill them, I'll kill everyone I need to._

The cellphone slipped from her grasp, falling noiselessly onto her bed. More words came from Rem, but she couldn't understand them over the sound of her own breathing. _No, no, calm down Misa. Whatever happened I can't panic, Light put his trust in me. Think things through. If L had arrested him forcefully, he'd either have said so in his call or not been allowed to make one at all. It must be some kind of voluntary confinement. If he is working with L, maybe it's some task, real or contrived, to keep him isolated for a few days. That has to be it, that's why Light called, he needs me to be Kira when L pulls something like that television stunt with Taylor._

Misa turned to the ivory shinigami and wrapped her neck in a tight hug until her breathing slowed. There was no warmth nor scent to Rem's body, but her embrace was still a comforting one. _This is what I wanted, I wanted to be of use. No matter what I need to continue his- our work. He said he plans things a week in advance, and he probably writes in his note during the evening, so if this lasts for more than six days I'll need to handle his portion. _"Rem, if Light hasn't called in six days, make sure I remember to start writing his share for him." Misa whispered into her ear, receiving a nod in response.

* * *

She was in Rem's arms again two days later. Each night had been worse than the last with less sleep and more nightmares. No matter how many times she woke up crying from visions of Light in a cell, her days were worse. The To-oh shoot was still going on, for a stupid commercial that no one really wanted. Rem had tried to comfort her with stories of Gelus, but, no matter how sweet, they did nothing to calm her down.

Rem was halfway through the tale of how she and Gelus first "met" (at least she claimed that was it, Misa felt like she was fabricating stories at this point), when something caught her eye on the news. _A message from Kira? _

"I am Kira." A robotic voice sounded. The screen had changed to a pure white field featuring his name in a decorative font.

"Understandably, many of you will doubt my claim after my long silence. I suggest those doubters tune to channel 17. If this broadcast is being aired when I requested, Terrance Whitford should be on trial currently, and the hour will be changing in five, four..."

Misa changed the channel to 17 immediately. An overweight black-haired man was walking down the center aisle away from the camera. Text on screen identified him as a foreigner accused of stabbing three people. The clock changed from 5:59 to 6:00, and, just on time, the man groaned and grasped for his chest. Misa giggled at the performance while watching the long lifespan lingering above his head. She changed the channel back.

"Until now, I have stayed silent, content with seeing the fruit of my actions. Sadly, it has come to my attention that others with less restraint have chosen to emulate me without the wisdom needed to do so." There was fury in the voice, even beneath the heavy filter.

"This message is for those who believe they can help me, especially the one who has taken my methods for their own: I will not tolerate wanton murder by anyone, especially one who would sully my own good name. When I end a life, it is with the understanding and wisdom requisite to pass judgement on another. If you truly wish to serve justice, you will obey my will and cease all killing until we are able to make contact. If you refuse this order, you are nothing more than a common murderer and will be judged as such!"

The voice paused for a bit, almost like a speaker waiting for applause. Misa leaned back and smiled. "L is pretty smart, but a terrible judge of people."

The speaker continued in a more subdued tone. "Next, I have a message for the police. I have considered them my allies since the beginning of my mission, but sadly their talents have been misspent trying to stop my crusade."

Five names appeared on screen beneath Kira's. "I implore you gentlemen: cease interfering in my quest, otherwise, for the good of humanity, I will not hesitate to end you." After the voice stopped, the image persisted for several seconds before cutting back to a flustered newscaster.

Misa leaned back. "So L wants me to reveal myself somehow trying to contact Kira, but since I already know my Light is Kira there's no reason to risk it. No, that's exactly why I need to respond! If I just stay silent, he'll deduce that we've met, which will just make him more suspicious of me and Light." Misa grabbed her pen and a notebook. Especially since receiving the death note, writing things out helped her keep her thoughts in order.

"So let's see, if I send a video agreeing to L's demands it will throw them off and buy us some time." She rested her cheek in a hand, tapping pen against paper with her other. "I could even send a bunch of fake coded messages for meeting places to lead them on for a while, but it's risky. Every message would be another chance to slip up and leave evidence, and if they catch me Light will be next for certain."

"Perhaps it is best to do nothing then, rather than risking your life." Something was off in Rem's voice. She had lowered herself to eye level with Misa.

"No! Light put his trust in me, I need to make him proud! If we can beat L then there will be nothing standing in the way of our happiness!" Misa stabbed the paper with her pen. "We just need his name, then we can make the perfect world together." _His name, that's all I need then we can move on. Even if I set meeting locations in a message, there's no way L himself would show up, not that I could tell it was him even if he did. He isn't a ghost, he must have come from somewhere. Someone has to know his name!_

She threw the papers aside and hugged her knees to her chest in frustration. _I wish this was just for us and not the world. I wish we could just stop, or go to wherever he's holed up and kill everyone in the way of our happiness. I wish Kira wasn't justice._

Then, a dark smile played across her lips. Rem saw the shadow of Light Yagami in it. "Kira is justice, but I'm not Kira." Misa whispered.

* * *

Light stared at the computer screen, bored. L had asked him to profile Kira on his own so they could compare their analysis. It was meaningless, Light already knew L's profile of him fairly well from his father's early case files, and he was sure L knew he knew. That left him tediously pretending to analyze the data before he got to write up his own version of the report.

_Does L think I'm so fragile I can't write a profile calling Kira a serial killer? Even if I spent the entire thing praising Kira it wouldn't prove anything other than my profiling skills. We both know this is a waste so why couldn't he at least come up with something interesting._

At least that monotony would soon be at an end. Sakura TV had received a package from the second Kira, and the task-force was assembling to examine its contents. _Misa sent a response just like I'd hoped. That alone won't be enough to throw L off though, hopefully she knew to plant some false leads. Even with only the seven of us, L will insist on investigating every possible trail that she leaves. It'll only be a matter of time before I'll be free again._

L continued to examine the manila folder while they waited for the others. It seemed fairly generic, aside from "To Kira" written on the front in large lettering. Matsuda was still recounting its arrival (apparently an ex-con carried it right into the station before collapsing of a heart attack) when Mogi finally arrived.

"Now that we're all here, let's see what our suspect sent us." L carefully opened the envelope, appearing uncomfortable in the latex gloves. Inside was a nesting-doll set of letters, bags, and boxes all around a small cardboard box. Every piece was sequentially placed in an evidence bag along with the material inside it.

_She had a criminal deliver it, so she probably had others fill it with as much evidence as possible. Even if she did mess up and leave some trace of herself on it, it's going to take forensics months to get through all of this. _Light crossed his arms as he looked over L's shoulders.

Inside the last box was a small tape. Watari had already set up the necessary equipment to play it on the hotel TV as well as record it so they could send the real tape to forensics as well. A white background identical to their message appeared with the same lettering in the center, but now there was a line drawn through it.

After a few moments, a distorted bass voice began speaking. "I am _not_ Kira." Light carefully watched L's reflection out of the corner of his eye.

"First, I have a message for the true Kira: Before all else I must tell you how much I admire you. Your desire for justice is an inspiration to us all, as is your noble soul and pure heart." Light grit his teeth, Misa should be smarter than to throw on too much flattery.

"Those qualities will be your downfall." The voice began speaking faster, fire in its tone. "Your message has revealed to me that you lack the courage to do what is necessary, you lack the courage to truly change the world. The truth is, you are _weak!_" Light couldn't stop himself from gasping in unison with the detectives. "A new world cannot be created without true sacrifices. I can see now that I will need to shoulder the weight of those sins you are too soft to take upon yourself! Judge me as you wish, but I will not shy from what needs to be done."

"My second message is to the Japanese government, especially the police. If any of my demands are refused, including the airing of this tape the day it is received, I will kill nine people. Three will be elected officials of the country of Japan. Three will be non-elected government employees of varying agencies. Three will be chosen specifically from the NPA." By now the voice was almost screaming it seemed like.

"He's a maniac." Soichiro murmured to himself.

"Firstly, I demand all investigation by official police agencies into Kira's executions cease immediately. Secondly, I demand the detective known as L reveal his identity alongside a live appearance at Sakura TV. You have one week from the airing of this tape to fulfill these demands."

The voice paused for a bit and seemed to calm. "If you are part of any of these groups and your superiors refuse to see reason, I suggest you resign. And lastly, to you, _L_," The voice indulged itself with a dramatic pause. "I suggest you make your peace with whatever god you believe in, they won't save you."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Probably the most enjoyable part of writing this has been trying to emulate the canonical battles of wits. I hope I've managed to do a decent job with my own gambits as the plot continues to get more complicated.


	6. Chapter 6: Sacrifice

**Chapter 6: Sacrifice**

The room changed to silence. Eventually, even the sound of the tape rewinding ceased. "This is not good." L was the one who chose to break the silence. He set down his drink with a sharp noise.

"This has gone beyond murder, now we have a terrorist to deal with!" Aizawa growled.

Light feigned a concerned expression as he watched. _He can't get out of this one, can he? The entire world will demand he hand himself over. No, I know him better than that already, he could outrun the world if he wanted to. It is a tempting image though, the great L on the run while the world bows down to Kira. Will you put your life before your pride I wonder?_

"Light, what do you think of this?" L turned to him suddenly. "However silly it may be, I find it a little difficult to focus with the looming threat of death."

_No, you aren't scared. Fine, I'll keep playing along with your games, this might be our last chance after all. You're going to see what Misa is planning eventually, so I wonder if I can get you to second-guess the truth. _"I think you're right and there are two Kiras, moreover I think they must have joined forces if they are sending this message. Alternatively it's possible that Kira has invented his own copycat to deceive us." Light moved to sit by his nemesis.

L sipped his drink quietly, as calm as ever despite his claims. The mutual silence proved too much for Ukita, and he suddenly snapped at them. "What does it matter if there are two or one? We need to figure out how to respond to this!"

Once again, L set his drink down with a sharp sound. "Sadly, that isn't under our control. Either we present your government with both Kiras before a week has passed," he turned to look at the detective, "or you'll be ordered to drag me onto camera and watch me die."

Soichiro interrupted, managing to stay calm. "Japan has a policy against negotiating with terrorists. Surely they won't-"

"Yes well that is true in theory, however like most rules, it will be bent for Kira." The detective popped a chocolate into his mouth without pausing his response. "Maybe I am being too pessimistic, we might have two weeks. Either way, it's over as soon as people understand this threat is serious. I doubt they'd protect me over a single official, handing me over is simply the logical response."

L placed the tape into a bag of its own, and gestured to Mogi. "Please take these to forensics. It's a long shot at this point, but there's always a chance he slipped up when making the tape. Now, other than that I do have some ideas, not very reliable ones unfortunately, but our situation is quite dire. To start with, I think we should ask Kira for help."

There was a customary pause by the detective for the rest of the task-force to voice their surprise or objections, but they simply waited for him to explain. "We will air a message directly from me, asking Kira to prove his good intentions and stop this terrorist, in exchange for my cooperation."

"I think I understand." Light spoke up. "It's a prisoners' dilemma. They haven't been in contact long, so there's no way they trust each-other completely. The second Kira would have a chance to usurp the first's position if they took our offer. Both will be tempted to cooperate for fear of the other turning on them. We could even offer general police cooperation with Kira's actions, or official political recognition of some kind. I doubt either of them could ignore that temptation." _Unless, of course, one of them was madly infatuated with the other._

"Correct." L stood up and walked over to the table, browsing the sweets while he spoke. "Now Light, I want to tell you I am almost ninety-eight percent certain you aren't Kira. Admittedly that fact is as frustrating as it is relieving, but the point is that my next request doesn't come from suspicion." He didn't turn towards Light once while speaking, instead eventually picking up an eclair from the table and taking a bite. "I would like you to go home while we discuss the next part of the plan."

_You can't get rid of me that easily._ Light opened his mouth to speak, but L cut him off.

"Your father would never allow me to involve you in this next plan, so there's no point in me trying." L paused for several moments, then turned to Light. "And truthfully, I think I've come to see you as a friend, my first in fact. I don't want to put your life at risk for nothing." For the first time Light could remember, the detective blinked, slowly and thoughtfully. "And if this fails, you'll be the only one left to stop Kira."

Ryuk laughed loudly, doubling over by the television. _What is he trying? He doesn't need an excuse to exclude me from the investigation. Is it possible this is genuine? Very well L, I'll be your friend, your best friend even. I promise to deliver a proper eulogy._

"I guess I understand and I feel the same way. Surely you can understand why I insist on staying."

"No, Light." A hand fell on his shoulder. "All of us here are ready to die if that's what it takes to stop Kira. I don't think you'll ever fully know how proud I am that you have that same resolve." Soichiro pulled his son around and gazed into his eyes, grasping his other shoulder as well. "My son, I know you're capable of great things. Nothing would give me more happiness than for stopping Kira to be one of those things, but not at the cost of your life. Please don't let that sociopath's sick twisted game deny you your future."

Light gazed into his father's eyes. He could see L's reflection in them, staring back at him from his father's deep brown irises. "Don't worry dad, I won't."

* * *

L stared out the window, watching Light walk away from the hotel. _Was I really wrong all this time? Light would never have thought of that move, and he was under surveillance the entire time. For him to be Kira, the second Kira would've had to create and execute this plan all on their own, unless he's so far ahead of me that he saw all this coming. No, if I was that outmatched I'd be dead by now._

"Ryuzaki, what was it you wanted to discuss with us?" Soichiro took the lead in the conversation as always.

_Yes, I suppose it's time to see if I'll be alive in a week._ "Detectives, how far are you willing to go to catch Kira?"

"We've already said we'd risk our lives, we've proven it multiple times!" Aizawa was quick to retort, impatient as ever.

"Yes I know that, but how far will you go? Will you break the law? Will you risk the lives of others?" L continued staring out the window. His question was greeted by an uncomfortable silence. _Well, that's better than I hoped for. _"Kira will never stop killing unless he is caught. This is a simple fact. Even if at some point the reality of his crimes struck him, he has come too far to stop. He will justify any escalation as necessary to preserve his mission. Do you agree?"

"Ryuzaki," Matsuda sounded scared almost, "you're right, but we can't use that to justify our own actions either."

"I am not suggesting we emulate Kira's morality to defeat him." _If I thought that way, I would have had Watari interrogate Light long ago. _"If we cave into these commands, I will die. It isn't ego that makes me say that if that were to happen, your chances of ever stopping Kira will be reduced considerably. With this in mind, I am prepared to take drastic measures to ensure my own survival."

"So you're asking if we're willing to do the same, in order to stop Kira." Soichiro proclaimed. "I can't answer that without knowing what you want us to do."

_Of course, I suppose there's no choice but to take a leap of faith here. _"I will not be presenting myself for execution at Kira's hands. If you try to arrest me, as you will no doubt be ordered to, I will flee and continue the investigation in whatever capacity I can. Of course, by doing this I would be forcing Kira to follow through on the threat and begin systematically exterminating the Japanese government until he was certain that wouldn't bring me out of hiding."

L turned around to face the detectives' dour faces. "The plan I present to you is simple: We convince Kira I am dead. You will tell your superiors that you tried to arrest me, but things turned violent. I was shot and killed in the struggle, and a corpse will be presented to Kira for proof. You will need to lie to your superiors about what happened and maintain that lie even after Kira is caught."

"And what if it doesn't work? We have no idea what Kira will do in response!" Ukita managed to preempt Aizawa's anger this time.

"If it fails, Kira will kill the people he has promised. It won't fail if you play your parts though. Outside of this room, Light and Moji are the only ones who knows L's face, and the latter will be let in on this plan as soon as he returns. I will also have Watari arrange for a believable backstory for our fake L to be forged. The deception will be perfect as long as you all agree to play your parts. A body will also be arranged for, outside official channels for obvious reasons." L saw the faces of the detectives change. "Don't be concerned, I don't plan to murder someone for a usable corpse."

"Even if this works, how will we continue the investigation? We'll be reassigned to active cases if the NAP decides to obey Kira." Souichiro continued to be pragmatic as ever.

"You won't be able to, that is if you want to keep your jobs." L went over to the table, and poured himself a cup of tea. The whole situation was more stressful than he'd ever admit to the detectives. "If you want my opinion, you'd be better off as police officers. I was alone when I started this case, and, although I am grateful to all of you for staying with me as long as you have, I know I can do this by myself. I'll be sure to visit you at the department and bring you Kira's head as a reward for all that you've sacrificed."

"But when you first contacted us, you said that you would need the help of the police in order to solve this case." Soichiro seemed to be losing his composure slightly.

"With all due respect, there's a difference between the help of three or four civilians and the police as an organization."

"We're all personally involved in this. All of us have risked our lives to catch Kira. Doesn't that give us the right to decide whether we stay with the police, or continue to help you?"

"I suppose you have a point, either way though, you have time to decide that. We still have a week to catch Kira, but I would like to know now if you're willing to participate in my plan, or if I will need to run from you."

None of the detectives hesitated, even for a moment. L looked at the detectives and felt some difficulty keeping emotion from his face. "Thank you."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

As is fairly plain to see, I took some of the dialogue here directly from the source material because the situation felt close enough to warrant it. In case there was any doubt, this also reveals that I watch the English dub of the anime (though I know of _some _of the plot differences between the languages and mediums). I hope the canonical dialogue doesn't feel too out of place, and would enjoy feedback on whether, should the situation arise again, I should quote the anime or paraphrase it.


	7. Chapter 7: Union

**Chapter 7: Union**

Rem hung over Misa's shoulder as she went about her day. The battle with L was stressing her, Rem could tell, but she still steadfastly refused to stay home and rest. She was determined to avoid doing anything to draw suspicion to her and Light, even if it meant putting on a fake smile each day to pose in front of the cameras.

It was a normal occurrence for her phone to ring, always with some of the loud music she adored. Rem was used to it, but this time Misa seemed shocked by the sound. She scrambled for her purse for several seconds, until finally she pulled out her phone and answered it breathlessly.

"Light! How are you- I mean, how is your father doing?" It was amazing how quickly her expression could change from calm to ecstatic and back again, but Rem could still see the shine in Misa's eyes that no amount of acting could hide.

"He's doing better, but he's already back at work." Light Yagami's voice was clear through the speaker. He sounded as calm and composed as ever. "I'm worried he might have another heart attack with how hard he pushes himself."

_Would he use the death note on his own father? _Rem remembered all the times Misa had visited her parents' graves, all the photos of them she kept at her bedside. Light Yagami was not Misa though. Once again Rem found herself gazing at Misa's lifespan, watching every precious moment. _Humans have so little time, and the death note only ever steals it away._

"That must be horrible. I think you said he's a police officer right?"

"Yeah." Light's laugh was warm and friendly. "It was barely three days in the hospital before he was back at work. I don't think anything could keep him from it."

Misa smiled childishly. "It sounds like the number one student in Japan takes after his father." Truths looked so much better on Misa's face than the lies she had found herself telling so much recently.

"A keen observation from Japan's number one model."

"You're too kind." Misa's smile widened more. "I'm not the top model, yet."

"Misa, would you like to come over for tea? I know it's a bit late, but it would be a nice distraction to talk about school with you."

Ryuk laughed so loud it could be heard over the phone. "First thing you do after getting away from L is to go on a date huh?"

Misa seemed to find Ryuk amusing. "Aren't you being a bit forward?"

"I'm just staying home for a few days to make sure my mother and sister are doing fine." For the first time, Rem thought he sounded flustered.

"Of course, I'm free right now. Where do you live?" Misa had known Light's address since she first looked up his name. Even Rem had it memorized at this point from how many times she recited it.

It took half an hour for them to reach Light's home. Misa spent the trip humming beautifully to herself, only composing herself once they neared the suburban house.

Sayu Yagami was the one to answer the door. Her face was unbridled excitement when she saw Misa as she launched into a stream of questions. Misa was irritated at first, but Rem could see her quickly warm to the youngest Yagami as soon as she called her Light's girlfriend. The two already seemed like sisters. Rem felt glad the girl had a long lifespan ahead of her.

Then Light Yagami came down the stairs, Ryuk lingering in his shadow. For the first time, Rem felt like she could see emotions beneath the young man's perfect mask. The soft smile and gentle eyes suited his face much better than the sharply carved features it usually bore. _Is that what Misa sees when she looks at him? _

Words were exchanged between the three of them. Misa managed to keep a formal demeanor, but Light seemed off somehow, especially when his sister would call Misa his girlfriend. The conversation ended when Sachiko brought the two of them a tray, and led her daughter away.

Light's room was the polar opposite of Misa's. Everything was neatly sorted on his desk and shelves. The walls were covered in pictures, but his were of achievements and awards rather than people. The shinigami wondered where such an exacting human would hide his death note.

Ryuk moved over to the head of the bed and lay sideways, still grinning. Light closed his door carefully before taking a seat at the foot of the bed, offering a cup to Misa. She smiled warmly and sat right next to him, close enough for their arms to touch. Rem stood beside Misa, looking down at the pair.

"Light, did you see my message?" The girl's voice was quiet, but still lighter and happier than she had been in days.

"Yes. You don't need to worry about whispering. The walls are thick, and it's easy to hear if someone comes up the stairs." His voice was less formal than usual.

"Okay," Misa didn't move away from his side, "what did you and L think of it?"

The smile returned to Light's face, and Rem understood. The young man was smiling like Misa would smile, rather than how Ryuk would. "He was very distressed. He's well aware the government isn't going to put him before their own citizens. Still, he's planning something with the rest of the task-force and he didn't want me to know about it." He sipped the tea casually. "They're also planning on airing a message asking Kira for help."

"I figured he'd do something like that." Misa's mask was gone completely. "I already made a video from Kira saying that he hopes his imitator will reconsider and intends to stop them, but doesn't trust L enough to work with them." She brushed her hair back in a theatrical manner.

"Where's the tape now?"

"Don't worry." Misa slipped her arm underneath Light's. "It's in a locker in Shinjuku. A burglar rented it for three months with cash before coming down with pneumonia. I've already tested it, if you write the combination in the death note they will put it in fine. It works for passwords too, as long as it isn't an actual sentence or something with meaning like that. So, whenever we want we can have a criminal break in and deliver it." Her eyes seemed to glow as she looked up at her partner.

Surprise was a new emotion to see on Light's face for Rem. "Are there any other limits to that?"

"I'm not sure, I only tested up to 15 characters. I didn't want to use too many test subjects for it."

"So we can use that to send any future messages from Kira without leaving any physical evidence."

"Yep. Shouldn't be hard for either of us to visit a public library and upload an encrypted text document." Misa took another sip, then rested her head on Light's arm. He didn't seem to mind. "What do you think L is going to do?"

"He isn't going to hand himself over, I know that." Light touched his brow and thought in silence for a few moments. "He already has some kind of plan he's putting into action, but I don't know what it is. It must be something I could interfere with, otherwise he wouldn't have kept me from hearing about it."

"So he really does suspect you?"

Light nodded and lowered his hand, resting it on Misa's. "He says that he suspects me less after that video, but he's a good liar. It might be true or not, I don't know. He knows I would've never planned something like that though."

"Did I make a mistake?"

"No, I don't think so." He shook his head. "He knows that I wouldn't use methods like that to beat him. The whole situation turned his profiling ability against him, and I think it's thrown him off balance."

Ryuk laughed. "Don't forget to mention how he called you his friend."

Misa giggled. "That would make sense, he's probably never met someone smarter than him before." She looked up at Light. "It really is an intoxicating feeling."

He smiled back at her. "Maybe, but either way he wouldn't tell me that without having an ulterior motive in mind."

"What was his excuse for excluding you anyway?"

"He said it would be too dangerous. My father was easy enough to manipulate that way. He was reluctant to let me join the investigation at all, but not enough to forbid me from it."

"Well, just helping L investigate Kira is a risk to your life, so whatever they're planning must involve either certain death, or danger of a different kind. I can only think of legal trouble as a possibility if it's the latter."

Light's smile shifted towards the cold and cruel expression he normally wore. "He must be planning how to continue the investigation without official approval. That would require the detectives to lie to their superiors and the public. With the threat including the prime minister, such an act would probably be considered treason if they were caught. And if that is the case, excluding me under the pretense of protecting me gets me out of the way and also helps persuade the officers of his nobility."

Misa's face reflected the changing expression of her infatuation. "Then we'll kill until one of them breaks. There are more than enough corrupt officers and politicians for a few months of execution without the world losing anyone of worth."

_Is that the face of his Misa truly loves? _Rem was reminded once again that Misa didn't give up half her lifespan for Light Yagami, she gave it up for Kira. _Where does one end and the other begin? _

"No, he could never convince them to just let him go. They'll need reasonable assurance that your threat wont be followed through on, and the only way that can happen is if they fake L's death. Given no one knows his face or name, it wouldn't be difficult at all to air a picture of a body with some fabricated background in intelligence." Light's expression turned angry. "And I would be the only one able to spot the fake. Even if I gave a logical alternative explanation, it's probably enough for the rest of the detectives to let him detain me."

Misa leaned in closer, pulling his arm against her. "If they do that I'll keep killing until they let you go. As many names as I can write each day."

"No, if they arrest me you'll be one of the first suspects for the second Kira. There are a few others they might suspect too, but if they arrest both of us then the killing of new criminals will stop, and we'll be dead. There has to be some way to sabotage his plan before he can put it into action. If only-"

There was a loud creak as footsteps came up the stairs. Light went silent. After a little time, there was a knock at the door and a female voice spoke. "Light?"

"Yeah, what is it?" The two of them quickly moved apart.

The door opened and his mother entered. "It's almost 10:30 you know. You really shouldn't have a girl here this late."

"Oh right, I guess I just lost track of time."

"I'm sorry Mrs. Yagami. I'll get together my things." Misa made a show of going over to her bag, acting as though she was checking to make sure all its contents were there. The door closed with a strange glance from the older woman.

As soon as the door closed again Misa moved close to Light. She whispered in his ear. "Don't worry, we'll find a way to kill L, I know we will. No matter what it takes."

"I know, don't be reckless." He whispered back.

Misa smiled, the sweetest smile Rem ever had the pleasure of seeing on her face. Then she pressed her lips against Light's.


	8. Chapter 8: Resurrection

**Chapter 8: Resurrection**

Light closed his phone. _Eraldo Coil. Is he working with L now, or are they the same person? If he was another detective willing to put his life on the line for the Kira case, he'd have joined the investigation long before, they have to be the same person. He probably has even more identities to fall back on if the world learns Coil is investigating Kira too._

It had been a month since Light had last stood face to face with L. Part of him had begun to think the detective had truly chosen to run away with his tail between his legs, but deep down he knew that wasn't the case. L would never admit defeat, not before he was in the ground. And if there really was an afterlife, maybe not even then.

Light dialed Misa's number and leaned back in his chair. She answered after one ring, she always did. "Misa, I'm sorry but I'll have to cancel our date tonight. A friend needs my help studying before the test tomorrow." It was a simple, generic lie, the lie they had agreed to use if L resurfaced.

"Aw, sweetie are you sure that will take all night? I could bring you some food afterwards and we could have a late dinner." Misa replied without missing a beat.

Light couldn't help but smile. Late dinners had become their tradition since L's disappearance. One of them would bring food and they'd spend the evening setting up plans, investigating the detective, and writing names. "We'll see. I promise to call you afterwards sweetie."

"Okay." Misa stretched out the word like a child. "I'll talk to you then. Miss you already!" She made a kissing noise.

"Talk to you then." Light resisted the temptation to mimic the sound before ending the call. Whenever he let himself go an extra mile in their relationship for appearance's sake, he found his new behavior would quickly become a habit.

"Well Ryuk, it looks like you'll have your entertainment today."

* * *

Soichiro drove them to the address given. Light hadn't recognized it, and quickly realized why. There was a newly built skyscraper waiting for them. The only entrance was via an underground garage. Hundreds of cameras and other security devices caught his eyes as they walked through multiple gates. _He's taking security seriously now, was this always the intent or did Misa rattle him that badly?_

That was one plan rendered impossible. Misa had grown impatient and suggested killing L via mundane means when next they had a chance. Light hated to admit that her arguments had been sound, L posed a greater danger than any normal police investigation could. It would've been so simple to write the rest of the task-forces names in the death note then bring a gun or bomb for L and Watari. There were a thousand ways they could've done it while the detective was hopping from hotel to hotel, but now he'd be safe in his fortress.

After a few more security gates and an elevator ride, Light found himself looking at L again. The dark haired detective sat in the center of a row of desk chairs. A large wall practically covered in various monitors was in front of him, as well as a large strawberry cheesecake. A stranger sat in the chair next to him, typing on the computer.

"It's good to see you Light." L didn't turn around, instead waving his hand at the chairs next to him. "I'm glad to have you back with us. I was a bit worried you might take your father's advice to heart."

Light moved to take the seat and gestured to the man next to L. "Oh right. Light Asahi, this is Anthony Rester, one of the new members of our unofficial investigation. The names are false of course, so you'll have to take my word about each-others' credentials."

Light locked eyes with the older man and smiled in greeting. _He didn't use my real name. Does that mean he really has moved on from me as a suspect, or is he just trying to put me at ease? If there are multiple foreign agents, he could be investigating me with their help while the rest of us handle other leads. It keeps me close while also making sure he has complete control of my access to information. _"It's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's good to meet you too Light." The man's Japanese was poor and he had a thick American accent. _Is he with L officially or unofficially? If he has the resources of another country behind him that changes things. _

"Rester as well as the other agents, Gevanni and Lidner, are from the United States as you probably guessed." L stood up as he spoke, taking his cake with him. "Their government felt very strongly about Japan's response to the second Kira's demand and had a task-force of their own formed. Once I contacted them, they were kind enough to let me poach some of their members."

_Just three then, but they probably share information with their country. If L hand-picked them then they likely have personal investment in the case. FBI agents who lost coworkers possibly? _"It's good to see we aren't alone in standing up to Kira."

"Light, would it be too much trouble to talk to you in private for a moment? I have a theory I'd like to hear your thoughts on."

"Of course." _He wants to question me without letting me know the others know I'm a suspect. _Light followed the detective up some stairs and down a few hallways until they arrived in what could only be described as a hotel suite. There were two couches facing each-other with a table between, a laptop sitting in the middle.

L took a seat on one couch and immediately opened up the laptop. "Tell me Light, are you aware that Misa Amane is a Kira supporter?"

_So, he's been looking into Misa. _"Yes, we've spoken about it before."

"And that hasn't dampened your feelings towards her?" Light could see the screen reflected in L's eyes as he began typing on the laptop.

"Every relationship has philosophical differences. Kira's philosophy is an attractive one, especially for people in Misa's situation, that's why he has such broad public support." It was impossible to hide the fact Misa supported Kira. Even if she hadn't stated so in several interviews, the situation with her parents made denying her views difficult.

"Yes that is quite understandable. Still, she isn't merely a Kira supporter, she regularly furnishes websites with the names and faces of criminals." L spun the laptop around, showing multiple graphs. "Several dozen of the identifies she has exposed are of criminals that have since wound up dead. Some would consider her an accessory to murder, though obviously such charges would never last in a court of law."

Light feigned some mild shock. "I knew she visited those sites, and to be honest I suspected she might have posted her parents' killer to one, but I..."

Inside he smiled. _You just proved our plan worked. _Misa had been posting the names she looked up for the last few weeks in case L was able to monitor her internet. As time went by, it had been easier and easier to find criminals by other means, but searching news sites was still the fastest and most reliable.

"There is also this." L brought up a picture of the tape they'd received weeks ago threatening his life. "Thanks to your father I was able to obtain the forensics report on the tape once it was finished. They found a large number of fingerprints and samples of DNA on it, all of them belonging to known criminals, most of whom have been found dead." He took a sip of coffee casually. "That leaves only the tape itself. I had one of our new agents look into that matter. As it turns out, the tape itself had no serial number or identification of any kind which is apparently standard for the company. The other thing the company is known for is high visual fidelity. In other words, it's the exact kind of brand that would be familiar to a model."

Light stood up. "Are you accusing Misa of being the second Kira now?" He let a small amount of anger into his voice and demeanor.

L calmly took a bite of his cake, swallowing before he responded. "Three percent. Light, I want to share my full theory with you before bringing it to the rest of the group because I am aware how emotionally invested you are."

Light sat back down, enjoying the freedom to express some of the loathing he felt towards his rival openly. _No, you want to judge my reaction. Soichiro Yagami's love-struck son would be offended and angered at the accusation on her behalf. That will only have the chance to change once you present a compelling argument and he's forced to confront the possibility logically. _

"Tell me, how intelligent is miss Amane?"

_If you can access forensics reports still, you can access school records._ "She's much smarter than most people give her credit for. If it wasn't for her parents' death, she'd probably be one of my classmates, but that doesn't mean-"

"Light, allow me to elaborate." There was a pause, when Light stayed quiet, he resumed. "Imagine a person living in a world with Kira. They share his morals, and then somehow they obtain his ability to kill. Their first two goals would be to contact the real Kira and to obtain some kind of information on the investigation in order to stay one step ahead."

L looked Light in the eyes. "Tracking down L is impossible, so their only lead on the investigation would be via the NPA. However, it's public knowledge that many police officers have threatened to resign rather than work on the Kira case for fear of their lives, so what officer should they target specifically? Higher up positions would be too far removed, butt the chief would either be on the team himself, or know first-hand who was. So how to get close to him? If this person was young, attractive, and famous, the chief's teenage son would be the obvious one to exploit."

Light stayed quiet. The narrative was compelling, and unnervingly close to how Misa actually found him. No doubt the theory L had in his head for if Light was Kira went very similarly. "Alternatively, imagine such a person already had a source of some kind within the police, or otherwise was able to obtain information. To find the real Kira, the best place to start looking would be their list of suspects."

_Then they can view that list with their additional knowledge to figure out if any of them are Kira, but you won't say that. Claiming I'm innocent lets you keep me even closer to watch with your new agents. I wonder how the rest of the team will feel about you lying to them about something so important though._

"They would then pick out a likely candidate, and approach them for more information. There are likely certain key words of some kind related to how they commit these murders that would allow covert confirmation of their identities. And our number one suspect for quite some time, though this information was kept reasonably secret, was you, Light."

Light closed his eyes and sighed. "From an objective standpoint your theory is sound, but there's no evidence to support it."

"You're correct." The detective leaned forwards. "When I suspected you of being Kira, you were happy to cooperate in order to prove your innocence. I am hoping you will maintain that attitude now that I am suspicious of Misa."

"You want me to spy on her?" _If I accept, I can feed him information. That's exactly what he wants though, he probably will be having our interactions watched so he can catch me in a lie. _

"Yes. If my theory is wrong you'll find nothing and have nothing to report. If I'm correct, you're in the prime position to catch her."

Light closed his eyes. Just a little hesitation to make it seem like a difficult choice. "Ryuzaki, I can't do that." He looked the detective straight in the eyes as he lied. "I can't abuse someone's trust like that, especially not the trust of someone I care about." He stood up. "I've kept everything about the investigation secret from her and will continue to do so. I'm even willing to separate my personal life completely from this and help investigate her, but only as a detective, not as her boyfriend."

L stayed silent, stirring his drink. Light moved towards the door. "I understand if you no longer want me as part of the task-force, it's hardly appropriate for a detective to be romantically involved with a suspect." _If he really does believe I'm innocent now, he'll want me to continue helping with the investigation. If he's lying and just hiding his suspicion, he'll want to continue keeping me close to catch me. He has no other option and he knows it._

The detective loudly set down his cup. "Light, would it go against your morals to arrange for us to interview miss Amane?"

* * *

**Author's Note: **

This is going to be a bit of a long rambling note and more about myself than the story, so feel free to stop reading now. I started writing fan-fiction because I was having difficulty getting over writer's block with my own concepts. I'd write a page or two of an idea and then just get stuck not knowing how to continue. I felt fan-fiction (specifically what-if type stories) would be easier because I could essentially skip the introductory chapters where I'd always get stuck trying to explain characters and concepts and go straight to the parts I enjoy thinking about. Death Note just happened to be a series I was re-watching at the time.

This has become by far the longest narrative I've ever been able to write, and it does feel like the experience has helped (and is continuing to help) me improve. The reason I'm adding this note on this chapter specifically is actually a bit of a celebratory one (which of course requires some explanation). I write my first drafts by hand in basic school notebooks (the kind with the spiral binder and dividers). As of a few days ago (roughly aligning with when I finished the content gone over in this chapter), I've filled 1/3rd of that notebook (52 double sided pages), and it is very inspiring to be able to look at that physical evidence and know I have the ability to actually put words onto a page.

I hope all of you enjoy and continue to enjoy this story (and hopefully others in the future) as much as I do.


	9. Chapter 9: Zealotry

**Chapter 9: Zealotry**

"Thank you for talking with me, I am sorry Mr. Coil couldn't be here himself." Halle Lidner apologized profusely. She was a good liar, but Misa's eyes saw through her false name easily. It was easy enough to see this interview was really for L, but the lie confirmed it in Misa's mind.

_So L brought in more investigators, Americans maybe? _Misa talked while showing her interview smile. "I'm always happy to help Light's friends, but he didn't tell me much. If I'm honest I don't even know who Mr. Coil is, or what you want to talk to me about."

Rem floated around the room, examining corners and pointing out cameras. L was certainly thorough, there were at least two dozen hidden around the small hotel room. "Mr. Coil is a detective, one of the most famous in the world actually. We wanted to ask you some questions about Kira, and the community around him."

Misa giggled childishly. "Oh I get it, he's investigating Kira to avenge his friend L."

"I'd hardly have called them friends." The woman smiled in response.

_She's really good at that, maybe they're from the CIA?_ _Some intelligence agency probably. The name shouldn't be too hard to look up if I get a chance later to do it. _

"Eraldo openly hated him, and from what I've heard the feeling was mutual." Her charm was nice, better than most of the legitimate press Misa talked to. "Mr. Coil also much too reasonable of a man to take on such a dangerous investigation. He's here working on writing a book about L, and their field in general. Kira, whatever a person's stance on him, has become an important figure in criminology and thus requires some mention."

Misa gave another giggle, actual interviewers always found that endearing. "Okay, just promise you're telling the truth. And that you'll credit me in the book. Oh, and a signed copy would be nice."

"Of course." Bullook laughed in response and took out a large notepad from her bag. "Well, to start with: Miss Amane, could you tell me about what lead you to supporting Kira publicly? You're well known for doing so long before it became a socially acceptable stance to take."

"I was a supporter from the beginning. There was a news story about the Taylor broadcast and the whole thing was so dramatic it was hard not to be interested." A little of her false cheer was allowed to fade. "A friend of mine brought him up a bit after that and we ended up doing a lot of research together. I think she was just trying to get my mind off the trial." With all the elaborate lies they had prepared, it felt strange having to tell the truth.

"Was some part of you hoping that Kira would kill him?" The woman's voice changed slightly. Misa knew that tone, it was the way officers would speak during an interview. It was soft and comforting, like they were talking to a child.

"Every part." She replied in a flat voice. It was a question she had been asked before receiving the Death Note, and her answer had been the same then. "It's simply the truth: That bastard deserved to die. People are too scared to say it, but it's true."

That truth at least felt liberating rather than uncomfortable. Every time she'd answered that question before, her agent or co-workers would chime in and try to water down her stance to something more broadly acceptable. They'd try to excuse it by saying she was still recovering from her parents' death, as if her beliefs needed excusing. She wasn't sure how Light could handle it, going every day having to condemn his own beliefs as evil to everyone he knew. _Not around me though, he can be himself with me. _

"Your sentiment is definitely growing more popular. Do you think you'd feel the same way if your parents were still alive?" The detective made her first slip-up in her performance by staying completely calm and focused despite the extreme response.

"I do. I think deep down most people think the same way, my experience just made me confront those beliefs and accept them. That's why I'm so open about them publicly. I don't want anyone else to feel guilty or ostracized for seeing things that way."

The investigator nodded as she wrote. Rem hovered over her shoulder looking down at the piece of paper. "She's being spoken to through an earpiece."

"You said you first heard about Kira from the televised incident with Lind L Taylor. What are your thoughts on his death?"

"I watched a video of the broadcast as soon as I could and looked up the actual case behind Taylor. Taylor deserved to die, not whatever deal they promised him to get his help. The man was an animal, and L was ready to let him live because it benefited him, he doesn't have my sympathy either."

"Kira wouldn't have known any of that at the time though, unless you subscribe to the idea of him as an omnipotent god that is."

"Someone doesn't need to be omnipotent to be a god." She wondered if Light was watching the interrogation. Maybe L was watching him watch her. "How else would you describe someone with his abilities?"

"That's a bit too philosophical of a question for me to answer." The woman was still all smiles, but Misa could see the irritation beneath the facade. She turned to the next page of her notebook, making sure Misa wouldn't see what she'd written. Halle Bullook wasn't aware of the shinigami hovering over her shoulder however.

"I think I know what you meant to ask though." Misa shifted in her seat. Truth be told, the performance was wearing on her too, but she wasn't going to let hers slip. "I think Kira was right to kill L. The man had all the resources in the world at his fingertips and he hosted a press conference to try and antagonize Kira rather than doing something useful with that power. Part of me thinks he was just jealous of Kira."

"Miss Amane, if you had the ability to do what Kira does, would you?"

Misa pushed out a small nervous expression and paired it with a pause. She pretended to try and search for an answer. "It sounds cliche, but power comes with responsibility to use that power correctly. If I could kill people like Kira, I would use it to try and make the world a better place, like he is doing. Anything less would be irresponsible."

* * *

"Part of me thinks he was just jealous of Kira." L squatted in his chair gazing at Misa Amane intently as she spoke. Her face was a perfect mask, not that L had ever expected being able to see through her lies.

The way she spoke reminded L of Light in a malicious way. Watching her speak he had the same sensation he'd had watching the boy. Every word felt like it had a second meaning hidden behind it. _Or am I just being paranoid? If she is as much of a fanatic as she wants us to think, she'd gladly serve as a red herring if Kira asked her to, whether Kira was Light or someone else. He's interacted with me enough, this could be a coached performance to make me suspect her exactly in that way._

He tilted his head and took a sip of coffee, looking at Light out of the corners of his eyes as he did so. _No, Light wouldn't risk connecting himself to bait like that. Unless he wasn't the one to make this plan maybe? She could be a go-between for him and the second Kira. If we catch either of them, she takes the fall as the other Kira while the real one continued the killings. _

_They'd have to be aware of the possibility we'd simply execute both of them. Light's ego would never let him endanger his own life to that degree unless he had no choice. Maybe they're counting on me overthinking it and it really is as simple as her being the second Kira, professing her devotion openly to try and throw me off. _

L openly looked at his companion, only half listening to Bullook's questioning of Amane. _I still have the resources to detain her indefinitely. No, if I did that Light would immediately play the chivalrous boyfriend and tell the authorities everything about me and not a soul would think twice. With him openly helping the police, I doubt I'd be able to escape again. Even if I did, investigating Light and Misa would become practically impossible. _

_If I could get the detectives to go along with detaining Light instead, she'd make sure the killings continue. If she is just a liaison, then that means she'd be forced to make contact with the real second Kira quickly. No, she could do the same act as him and just play the overprotective girlfriend, no matter what story Soichiro fed her. Her status would make it easy to cause enough of a public outcry to force an investigation, even if his father tried to stop it. _

He let his gaze drift between his two suspects a few times as he thought. _How much can they trust each other? If she truly worships Kira, there's no way she'd turn on him, but would Light stake his life on that? If he thought that he'd been betrayed, the Kira I know would want revenge. No, above all Light hates losing, turning on his allies would be him admitting defeat to me. Simply detaining them both and hoping the killings will stop is too risky, Amane's fame means even the chief of the NPA couldn't stop an investigation into her disappearance, especially when his son would be their first suspect. _

_Whatever I do, it mustn't risk the investigation as a whole if it fails. I could show Misa my own face the same way I did with Light, but under some identity other than L or Coil. If they are the two Kiras, Light has definitely described me to her at some point. If I died, it would prove she was the second Kira and Light had, at minimum, leaked information from the investigation to her. If either of them are innocent, there'd be no risk in such an action. That would be enough for both of them to go to death row. No, it's too risky. Light would see through it immediately and make sure my eventual death was timed to undermine that plan. _

L closed his eyes and finished his coffee in a long sip. _Watari's identity is almost as well concealed as my own, there's no way Kira could know his real name. Unlike me, Misa seeing him by some accident or coincidence is well within the realm of plausibility. It's plain that Watari knows my real name if anyone does. If Kira can make prisoners write messages and draw symbols it's likely that it would be well within their power to make him reveal my name, but that would still require contact in some way. Watching Watari 24/7 wouldn't pose any difficulty for a few agents._

_Ideally we'd catch him directly giving them the information, but the mere act of him leaking investigative information should be enough to prove my theory. Even just his mysterious death after being exposed to Misa should be enough to convince some country to take them by force. A court of law could never convict Kira anyway, this was always going to end quietly in a secret prison somewhere._

Silence filled the room as the interview on the monitors ended and Misa was escorted away. L began devouring a chocolate doughnut as he thought about his caretaker. _He'll do it without hesitation even knowing what it means. One investigator's life for both Kiras is a sacrifice I've always been ready to make. This game of theirs needs to end._

* * *

**Author's Note: **So yeah, apologies for how long this one took compared to all the others. The general list of excuses about personal life taking up more time apply, but the main reason was honestly that I was simply stuck for a bit. It didn't help that at this stage I'm now having to plan out how everything will fit together for the ending. Hopefully the next one will take less time, but I've realized promising that is a bad idea with the difficulties that arise from translating an outline into an actual story. If I had to estimate, I'd say there are probably 2-3 chapters left if the outline I have manages to translate well, and if it doesn't then I have no clue. Hope you all continue to enjoy reading this.


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